Dua pihak menjelaskan pendirian mereka.

Dua pihak literally means two parties / two sides.

In Malay, pihak is a very common formal word that can mean:

• a side in a dispute
• a party in negotiations
• an organization or group involved in something

So in this sentence, dua pihak most naturally means the two sides or the two parties involved.

Because Malay usually does not repeat a noun when the number is already clear.

Since dua already means two, saying dua pihak is enough.
Using pihak-pihak here would sound unnecessary.

This is very normal in Malay:

• dua orang = two people
• tiga buku = three books
• dua pihak = two parties

Reduplication often marks plurality, but it is usually omitted when a number is present.

Menjelaskan comes from the root jelas, which means clear.

The verb is formed like this:

• jelas = clear
• menjelaskan = to explain / to make clear

So the pattern is roughly:

• meN- ... -kan → often makes a transitive verb, meaning to cause something to become X or to do X to something

Here, menjelaskan pendirian mereka means to explain their position.

Because jelas is not the right form for the action to explain.

• jelas = clear
• menjelaskan = to explain, to clarify something

In this sentence, the subject is doing an action to an object:

• Dua pihak = subject
• menjelaskan = verb
• pendirian mereka = object

So you need the verb menjelaskan, not the adjective/root jelas.

Here, pendirian means position, stance, or viewpoint.

It is a noun, and in this sentence it does not mean a physical standing position. It means something like:

• an opinion held firmly
• an official position
• a stance on an issue

So pendirian mereka means:

• their stance
• their position
• their viewpoint

This is a common formal word in news, politics, and discussions.

Malay often shows possession by putting the possessor after the noun.

So:

• pendirian = position / stance
• mereka = they / them
• pendirian mereka = their position

This is very common:

• rumah saya = my house
• nama dia = his/her name
• pendirian mereka = their stance

So Malay does not usually use a separate word like English of here.

Yes, mereka normally refers to people, not things.

That fits this sentence because dua pihak refers to groups, sides, or parties made up of people. Even if those parties are institutions or organizations, Malay can still use mereka because the reference is to the people involved.

Malay does not have a direct everyday plural pronoun exactly like English they for things in the same way. Mereka is mainly for human referents.

The sentence follows the normal Malay Subject–Verb–Object order:

• Dua pihak = subject
• menjelaskan = verb
• pendirian mereka = object

So it is structured very much like English:

• Two parties explained their position

This makes it a fairly straightforward sentence for English speakers.

No, Malay verbs do not usually change form for tense.

So menjelaskan by itself does not tell you whether the action is:

• past
• present
• future

The time is usually understood from context, or shown with time words such as:

• semalam = yesterday
• sekarang = now
• esok = tomorrow
• telah / sudah = already
• akan = will

So Dua pihak menjelaskan pendirian mereka could mean:

• Two parties explained their position
• Two parties are explaining their position depending on context.

It depends on the context.

• dua pihak = two parties
• kedua-dua pihak = both parties / both sides

If the speaker wants to emphasize that it is both sides involved, then kedua-dua pihak is often more specific.

So:

• Dua pihak menjelaskan pendirian mereka = Two parties explained their positions
• Kedua-dua pihak menjelaskan pendirian mereka = Both parties explained their positions

The second version can sound a bit more definite.

In practice, it usually means their respective positions.

Even though pendirian is singular in form, Malay nouns often do not change form the way English does. The sentence normally means that each of the two parties explained its own stance.

So a natural English interpretation is often:

• The two sides explained their positions or
• Both parties explained their respective positions

Malay leaves that kind of singular/plural distinction less explicit than English often does.

Yes, it sounds fairly formal and is very natural in:

• news reports
• official statements
• political discussions
• legal or diplomatic contexts

Words like pihak, menjelaskan, and pendirian are common in formal written Malay.

In casual everyday speech, people might choose simpler wording depending on the context, but this sentence is perfectly normal standard Malay.

Yes, sometimes.

Menjelaskan can mean:

• explain
• clarify
• make clear

The best translation depends on context.

For example:

• menjelaskan keadaan = explain the situation
• menjelaskan isu itu = clarify that issue
• menjelaskan pendirian mereka = explain/clarify their position

So explain is a safe general translation, but clarify may fit if the context is about removing doubt or confusion.